Shift Work Dangers Toolbox Talk

Shift Work Dangers Safety Talk

Shift work is becoming more and more common in the construction and trade fields. Businesses benefit from shift work and night shift work for several reasons, including:

• Avoiding scheduling conflicts

• Increased safety

• Avoiding weather concerns

• Increased production

Shift workers and night shift workers often gain additional pay as an incentive for working during irregular hours.

Sometimes in construction, night work is a necessity. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, around 15 million Americans work in a role that requires night shifts or irregular hours.

Shift work may require construction workers to make work and lifestyle adjustments in order to perform at their best.

What are the cons of shift work?

The main issue with working the night shift is the disruption of your circadian rhythm, or your “body clock.”

Your body is naturally programmed to sleep at night and be awake during the day. This same body clock influences when you wake up, need to eat, and other functions, and it is greatly impacted by daylight. At night on the construction site, you will likely have to fight feelings of drowsiness from being outside in the darkness. Then, during the day when you want to sleep, you may not sleep as well due to the fact that the sun is out, which may put you at a deficit that affects other areas of performance.

A study completed at Rockefeller University found a variety of symptoms reported by shift workers, including:

• Weight gain

• Inability to focus

• Impulsivity

• Slower thinking

• Slower reactions

• Behavioral changes

• Zombie-like fatigue

• Increased levels of stress due to missing family or health issues

Researchers noted physiological changes far beyond simple “lack of sleep” symptoms.

In addition, in 2007 the Agency on Cancer Research listed night shift work as likely carcinogenic to humans.

What are the hazards of shift work in construction?

The impact of disrupting your circadian rhythm has been recorded in many other studies. EHS Today, posted an article on October 14, 2004 that summarized research from worker’s compensation claims showing construction workers work more late-night shifts than other workers, and there is a significantly higher rate of injury on the job after the sun goes down.

For example, some hazards of road construction significantly increase at night:

• Less traffic meant drivers drive faster

• Drivers are more likely to be impaired

• Brightly lit work zones cause glare and shadows

• Increases in trip and fall injuries

• Decreased reaction times for construction workers

• Emergencies at night harder to respond to

• Increases in pedestrian vs. vehicle accidents

• Increases in struck by and back over accidents

Construction workers who work at night are also at a higher risk for fatigue-related accidents compared to their peers who work in the daytime.

What can I do to adapt and be safer when I work the night shift?

Understanding the hazards of shift work is the first step to avoiding accidents and injuries. All workers should learn best practices to help adapt.

Make quality sleep a priority every week. No matter when you sleep, the same sleep hygiene practices that day workers use still apply to construction workers who work at night.

Schedule your sleep and stick to it

Try to keep yourself on a schedule with regular bedtimes and wake times. Doing the same thing each day may seem boring, but your circadian rhythm thrives on routine.

Even if there is daylight outside, make sure your sleep area is as dark as possible, as the least bit of light your eyes detect can trigger your awaking rhythm.

Keep your sleep area cool. Our body temperatures drop when we sleep and warmer daytime temperatures can promote wakefulness. Limit distractions and reserve your bedroom area for relaxing, not for other tasks.

Try to schedule a relaxing activity before going to bed—don't play video games or do anything involving an electronic screen. If you have the chance to catch breakfast with the family before they head out for the day, enjoy it. Some night shift workers exercise, engage in a hobby, or read before they go to sleep. Help your family understand the importance of keeping the house quiet during your sleep time and try to get into a routine of being awake for some time to see them before you head off to work.

Limit light and TV

Your body’s circadian rhythm is based on light and dark exposure. Even people who normally sleep at night are advised to limit or skip screen time before bedtime for the best sleep possible.

Our TV and device screens emit blue light that tricks your body into thinking it is daytime. This can keep you awake when you are trying to sleep. When you want to be awake, more light is better. When you want to be asleep, darkness is your friend.

Keep up with your nutrition

When you are tired and fatigued, sweets and caffeine seem more tempting than usual. However, the excess caffeine you consume while working your night shift can easily keep you awake when you want to sleep before your next shift. Maintaining regularly scheduled meals is another way to help your body’s circadian rhythm adapt to working at night.

Make water and good quality food a priority. It will give you the sustained energy you need for work and keep you hydrated. Likewise, proteins and complex carbs are less likely to spike your insulin than sugary food and drinks.

Keep up your activity

If you usually exercise before or after work while working daytime shifts, keep it in your activity mix when working the night shift too. Whether you enjoy runs, weight lifting, swimming, walking the dog, boxing, or other forms of exercise, continuing to do so will help you relax before sleeping or help you wake up before work.

One of the benefits of working nights is you have access to different services and locations during the day when everyone else is at work. You can skip the crowds at gyms, jogging paths, bike trails, and more.

Limit alcohol consumption

A beer or a glass of wine can help you fall asleep faster, but the quality of sleep you get after consuming alcohol is greatly diminished, and you will likely wake up sooner, still tired. Alcohol affects your body’s sleep cycles and prevents the deeper, more restorative sleep you need for true recuperation.

Safer night shifts in construction

Whether you choose to work at night in construction or get scheduled to do so, you can take advantage of some best practices to help make you and your peers stay safe and aware. The risk of accidents increases on the jobsite between 4 PM and 8 AM, making construction even more dangerous after dark.

By following a regular sleep schedule and maintaining proper sleep habits, you can help your body better adapt.